Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Ireland

Where is sewage not being treated properly in Ireland? 👀 The EPA’s Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report, released today, shows that the number of towns and villages discharging raw sewage every day has reduced from 29 to 16 since the beginning of 2023. Nevertheless, wastewater treatment at many areas is not good enough to prevent wastewater discharges from impacting the quality of rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters. All deficient wastewater works must be brought up to the standards required to protect the environment but, based on Uisce Éireann estimates, this could take over two decades and will require substantial investment. As it is not possible to fix all the problems in the short term, improvements must be prioritised where they are needed most. The EPA has identified 73 priority areas where improvements in wastewater treatment are most urgently needed to protect our environment. Uisce Éireann has not yet started upgrade works at half of these. You can read the full report here: bit.ly/4exJbqe

Two decades is too long to wait to fix Ireland’s deficient wastewater treatment plants. Here’s what you need to know from the EPA’s Urban Wastewater Treatment in 2023 report: ⬇️The number of towns and villages discharging raw sewage every day has reduced from 29 down to 16 since the beginning of 2023. ❌Wastewater discharged from over half of treatment plants did not always meet the licence standards set to prevent pollution. 📆All deficient wastewater works must be brought up to the standards required to protect the environment. Based on Uisce Éireann estimates, this could take over two decades and will require substantial investment. 🚧The EPA has identified 73 priority areas where improvements in wastewater treatment are most urgently needed to protect our environment. Uisce Éireann has not yet started upgrade works at half of these. Launching the report, Dr Tom Ryan, EPA Director said: “Investment has resulted in stopping raw sewage discharges during the past year from 13 towns and villages that were priority areas highlighted by the EPA. This demonstrates that such investment protects our environment and benefits our local communities. However, wastewater discharges continue to be a significant pressure on water quality in many of our rivers, estuaries, lakes and coastal waters. At an operational level, Uisce Éireann’s slow progress in designing and delivering the solutions needed at the waters most affected by wastewater discharges are prolonging impacts on water quality. Uisce Éireann must prioritise the prompt delivery of these essential works.” You can read the full report here: bit.ly/4exJbqe #WastewaterTreatment #IrelandEnvironment #EPAReport #WaterQuality #SustainableInvestment #PollutionPrevention

The EPA hydrology bulletin for June is now available to download. Rainfall was below average in most places, average river flows for September decreased when compared to August, with 61% of river flows below the long-term normal range, while 51% of the lake and turlough monitoring stations observed levels below the long-term normal range. Learn more: bit.ly/4eEAJFU #EPAHydrology #HydrologyBulletin #RainfallAnalysis #RiverFlows #EnvironmentalResearch #WeatherTrends

Key insights from EPA Director Eimear Cotter on the Water Chapter of the State of the Environment Report 2024 👇

How can we transform our environment for future generations? Here are the five key priorities outlined by the State of the Environment Report from the EPA. Full report at bit.ly/SOER2024 #SOER2024 #EPAReport #ClimateAction #EnvironmentalPolicy

Save the date 📅 The EPA and ICEL Trinity College, Dublin (Irish Centre for European Law) are holding a joint environmental law conference which will take place on Friday 29th November 2024 in Dublin Castle. The conference will be convened by Dr Tom Ryan (EPA) and Margaret Gray SC KC (ICEL). The conference will explore a number of themes including Environmental Law Enforcement and Emerging Issues in Environmental Law Research. We hope to see you there – further information available soon: bit.ly/4dKIYyB #EnvironmentalLaw #EPAConference #ICELConference #DublinCastle #LawEnforcement #SaveTheDate

Following our investigation of a pollution incident of the Clareen Stream and the Nenagh river in June, July & August 2023 the EPA prosecuted Arrabawn Co-operative Society Ltd at Nenagh District Court on 12 Sept 2024. The company was fined €13,000 plus costs. Fines are at the discretion of the courts and capped at €4,000 per charge. The photo shows pollution in the Nenagh river which the EPA took in June 2023. Read more: bit.ly/3TEKQSF #EPAoee #PollutionInvestigation #NenaghRiver #EPAProsecution #WaterPollution

The EPA’s State of the Environment 2024 report was released yesterday. Ireland has modernized and prospered since joining the EU over 50 years ago – but future prosperity and health are threatened unless we better protect our environment. As Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA, said, “We are always playing catch-up. We now have virtually no seriously polluted rivers, but we have hardly any pristine ones left, either. We now recycle more, but produce more waste than ever and export much of it. We are taking positive actions across multiple fronts, but they are not keeping pace with the growing pressures, and our environment is being squeezed. Increments now are not best use of scarce time and resources: We need to make a fundamental shift.” Read the report’s findings and suggested actions here: bit.ly/SOER2024. Over the coming weeks we’ll be spotlighting some of the chapters to break down the key issues and opportunities for the Irish Environment in 2024. #SOER2024 #EPAReport #EnvironmentProtection #IrelandEU #EnvironmentalHealth #SustainableFuture #IrishEnvironment #Water #WaterTreatment #Nature

How will Ireland transition our environment so that it’s healthy, sustainable and prosperous for future generations? Here are key priorities laid out by the EPA’s report, the State of the Environment 2024: 📃Delivering a national policy position on the environment ✅Driving policy implementation 🏭Transforming our energy, transport, food and industrial systems 💶Scaling up investment in water, energy, transport and waste management infrastructure 🏥Protecting the environment to protect our health. EPA Director Micheál Lehane said, “We need to drive action across climate, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and pollution goals. This will not be easy and we cannot underestimate the challenges of moving to a path of a less wasteful, regenerative society. It is not negotiable. We need our air, water and natural environment to continue to prosper. You either change for the environment now or the environment will irrevocably change us and how we live later. We, in Ireland, must do our part in making this sustainable future a reality.” Read the full report bit.ly/SOER2024 Over the coming weeks we’ll be spotlighting some of the chapters to break down the key issues and opportunities for the Irish Environment in 2024. #SOER2024 #IrelandEnvironment #EPAReport #SustainableFuture #ClimateAction #BiodiversityGoals #IrishEnvironment #EnvironmentalPolicy

What is the state of Ireland’s environment in 2024? The EPA's flagship report delivers the single most definitive evaluation of Ireland’s environment. 📣 The report shows that progress, economic prosperity, and health are under threat unless Ireland increases the scale, pace, and ambition of environmental action. Actions on many fronts are having positive impacts but are inadequate to deliver a healthy environment. Serious action cannot be postponed - we need a rapid and resolute advance in environmental performance, driven by a national policy position on the environment. Here is a snapshot from the chapters covering health, water, climate, agriculture, transport and nature. Read the full report here bit.ly/SOER2024. 🗓️Over the coming weeks we’ll be spotlighting some of the chapters to break down the key issues and opportunities for the Irish Environment in 2024. #SOER2024 #IrelandEnvironment #EnvironmentalAction #HealthyEnvironment #nature #health #water #agriculture #farming #transport #climate #ClimateAction